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- Mood:
melancholy
Remember the dental torture scene with Dustin Hoffman receiving an unwanted root canal in the 1970s thriller Marathon Man? It wasn't particularly gory or bloody, but the tension and atmosphere as the Dr. Mengele-like, ex-Nazi dentist sets up his tools is chilling. The relevant clips have been pulled from YouTube, but you get the idea.
So, whenever I think I should go to the dentist and get my teeth cleaned, that scene comes to mind, and quickly puts the kibosh on the idea. The last time I went to the dentist, they told me I had to have an impacted wisdom tooth removed by an oral surgeon, and I just laughed and declined their suggestion, so I'll get in trouble for still having the tooth. It doesn't hurt, and I figure why go through all the pain in the event I'm hit by a bus anyway, or there's a great leap forward in dental technology, and they no longer remove wisdom teeth like construction workers jackhammer open the sidewalk.
- Mood:
anxious
Tonight, we just finished watching the Netflix DVD of the week, Near Dark. I'd seen the 1987 classic vampire Western before, but J hadn't seen it yet. I don't think she liked it very much. Right after the gruesome, bloody attack on the dive bar, and the shootout in the bungalow, J looked up from her knitting and said something like "I wish we were watching a nice musical." Perhaps she prefers Blue State vampires? You know, the kind who wear dapper, formal attire, and only bite the necks of society ladies at black-tie events, and live in castles, and enjoy classical music. The Bill Paxton character in Near Dark is about as far from that archetype as possible.
- Mood: gloomy
- Mood:
indifferent
Other weekend activities included a visit to the Washington Navy Yard. It was "Navy Day", and they had an open house at the Navy Yard, the first time it was so accessible to the public in 7 years. I thought I'd better get in there are take some pictures because who knows when the next open house will be.
Today, J and I went for a walk down to U Street and back, but neither of us are feeling very well, so now we're just resting at home. I'm still caughing and sneezing, so work should be interesting tomorrow.
- Mood: uncomfortable
You may find this surprising given my interest in military history, but I did not watch the new Ken Burn's new PBS World War II documentary The War, and I don't intend to do so after reading some reviews and description of the series. I'm just not a fan of Burns's "emotional archaeology" style of filmmaking. While greatly respecting the veterans and their accomplishments, I do have questions about the accuracy of their 60+ year old recollections at this point. Basically, I like WWII documentaries to be scholarly, and somewhat dry, with lots of facts, figures, dates, and statistics.
In my view, there were 2 great WWII documentaries made: the Battlefield series, and The World at War. Battlefield examined major campaigns and battles in minute detail, both strategic and tactical, from the lofty POV of a computer gamer rather than one veteran's perspective from a foxhole. The series was rich in maps and graphics, with lots of comparisons of the opposing sides strengths and weaknesses. Rather than personal accounts from veterans, Battlefield was more likely to feature a detailed analysis of US vs. Japanese Navy damage control party procedures and training, and how it greatly impacted the Pacific carrier battles. Now that's riveting stuff! Get it, riveting?
The World at War, the BBC production from the 1970s narrated by Laurence Olivier, packed more of an emotional punch. I remember watching episodes of that on PBS in the 1970s, and it freaked me out. The way each episode began and ended, with a B&W photo going up in flames to that dramatic music by Carl Davis, really made an impression. Olivier's great voice certainly didn't hurt. There were some interviews with veterans, but the tone seemed a little more analytical with just the right amount of anecdote and emotion. The war had ended only 25 years earlier, so events were more freshly recollected. Again, I agree that such material has value and interest, it's just not to my personal taste in documentary filmmaking.
So, I'll pass on The War for now, and maybe add a few episodes of Battlefield to the Netflix queue.
- Mood:analytical
Everyone I know is aware I've been a fan of The Simpsons since the very beginning 18 years ago. I must have seen every episode ten times by now, so it was a sure thing that I'd go see The Simpsons Movie. Last night, J and I saw it with G and M at Mazza Galerie in Friendship Heights, where it cost us $20 per person including tickets, soda and popcorn. The movie was worth it, though there were some things I didn't like about it.
First of all the good news: I was worried it would be dumbed down with more physical comedy and pratfalls at the expense of political humor and satire. I didn't think that was the case after seeing the movie. The main characters were pretty much true to form, and not somehow different on the big screen. There were a few genuinely touching moments between Homer and Marge, and some points where the usually reserved Mr. T did laugh out loud (the entering the church scene, "boob lady", and others). If you're a Simpsons fan at all, you need to see this movie.
There were some things I didn't like about The Simpsons Movie though. I didn't like the was the EPA was demonized, even if in jest. i kept thinking "if only the EPA really did have those resources!" - their own police, helicopters, HumVees, etc. If true, they could easily take out Japanese whaling vessels... Also, the Albert Brooks character didn't do much for me. I'd rather they have given the screen time to the classic Simpsons characters. You can never have too much Apu, Krusty or Mr. Burns. And what happened to the pig? It just dropped out of the story at some point and its ultimate fate was unexplained. Did it meet the same end as Mr. Pinchy, Homer's pet lobster in episode AABF03 in the 7th season? Another thing; I didn't think Marge and Homer had a wedding video, which I thought was a quickee Las Vegas wedding with only a very pregnant Marge and Homer in attendance?
The biggest nit to pick is why the trapped residents of Springfield didn't just tunnel under the dome to escape? The sinkhole should have given a clue to even the most dense of Springfield dwellers, and there were many previous occasions where they dug or drilled into the ground (Burn's slant drilling, Timmy in the well, etc) so they would have had the knowledge and equipment. OK, maybe that's beside the point, but they could have explained the failure to tunnel with a throwaway line about the edge of the dome extending to bedrock, or the groundwater being toxic or something.
Despite a few flaws, it's really a must-see film for any casual or hardcore Simpsons fan. I'd give it 3 stars out of 4.
Thanks to The Express for the mention in Monday's Blog Log (page 36).
- Mood:
thoughtful
I forgot to mention that this week's Netflix movie was So I Married An Axe Murderer. J hadn't seen it, though I saw it when it first came out in the early 90s. The Scottish family bits with Mike Myers were amusing, and Nancy Travis did a good job of being cute but slightly menacing at the same time. Trite romantic comedy plot, but not as heavy-handed as the Austin Powers movies.
In other news, here is the dialogue from an actual Mr. T conversation yesterday:
(watching TV story on upcoming "American Girl" movie)
Mr. T: Will that movie have zombies in it?
J: You ask that about every movie!
Mr. T: Maybe the doll comes to life and murders the girl, like Chucky?
J: See, that's the kind of thing you can't say if we have a kid.
Mr. T: (muttering to himself) Yeah, right.. he he he.
- Mood: satisfied
The trailer for the new zombie movie 28 Weeks Later must have been on my mind. They've just started advertising for this sequel to the creepy 28 Days Later, and I saw the trailer twice last night. Each time I said to J "ooh ooh let's go see that!", and it will at least end up on our Netflix list. I love those zombie movies, even though though they give me nightmares.
- Mood:
blah
We walked all the way down to the waterfront, and checked out the progress on the new Wilson Bridge and National Harbor development across the river. There were gazillioins of residents and tourists out, with many cute dogs in evidence. We got some iced coffee drinks at Firehook for energy, and took quiet side streets back to the Metro. We stopped in the garden of historic Christ Church to admire the greenery and old, listing grave markers. I took a few pictures along the way, which will eventually appear on my Flickr page, once I download them from my camera. It was fun playing the tourist in my own backyard, and getting a little color in the process from the strong sun on my pasty, winter-white skin.
Tonight, JA came down from Columbia, MD, for Bollywood night. This evening's film is Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), starring the beautiful Aishwarya Rai. I'm kindof half-watching, and half doing this blog entry, but definitely going over for the big song & dance routines. I think JA is allergic to M-kitty, or the pollen explosion brought about by the fine weather. I'd better go bring over some more tissues!
- Mood: cheerful
We had a tasty dinner at Teaism downtown, dodging the growing number of tourists clogging the streets, especially the crowds emerging from the Ringling Brothers Circus at the Verizon Center. We saw a few animal rights protesters on the perimeter, and took a pamphlet from them to read up on the issue. Without knowing too much about circus animals, it would seem that the elephants and other animals are being exploited and certainly could be mistreated. I doubt the elephants have enough room in those trucks and railroad cars they travel from city to city in. When/if we have a kid, we'll probably stay away from circuses and other entertainments that exploit animals, as there are plenty of fun and educational things to see with a child here in DC anyway. I'd have to study the issue a little more before coming to a definitive conclusion, though, so don't quote me on it.
Tonight's Netflix movie was Monsoon Wedding, and it was pretty good. It was surprisingly short for a Bollywood-inspired film (technically a US production, I think), and just ended there just as the wedding ceremony was getting interesting.
- Mood:productive
Sunday morning M is coming over for coffee, and to see the new sofa. I might pump up the tires on my bike after that and go for a ride.
- Mood: relieved
Anyway, last night we watched the latest DVD from Netflix, Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles (2004) aka A Very Long Engagement, a French film starring Audrey Tautou based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot. It was about a young woman's search for her fiancee, who disappeared under suspicious circumstances from the trenches of the western front in 1917. She did not accept the official accounts of his loss, and stubbornly investigated his fate. As she tracked down more information, the backstory unfolded in harrowing flashbacks to the war. Jodie Foster had a small role in the film, showing off her fluency in French. The cinematography was beautiful, with grand, sweeping shots of the French countryside, steam locomotives roaring past, vintage cars and aircraft zooming by, fields of golden hay swaying in the wind, bustling streets of Paris in the 1920s, and rustic farmhouses in Brittany. My only complaint was the same one I usually have - it was just a bit too long. I start to get a little fidgety around the 90 minute mark, no matter how good the movie I'm watching is. Two hours is plenty for me, so the additional 15 minutes dragged a bit. I was also confused at points about the profusion of minor characters, who had varying degrees of importance to the unraveling of the mystery. Overall, highly recommended!
This morning we met up with M for our usual Sunday morning coffee. We noticed that Wonderland was now serving brunch, so we stopped in. It was good! They had table service, decent omelettes and breakfast sandwiches, and even were serving up pupusas. Perhaps they're trying to boost their revenue, which may have taken a short-term hit from the implementation of the smoking ban? It was my first time in Wonderland since the smoking ban, and I was very happy to discover that the place smelled good. There were no lingering tobacco odors or other strange smells that were previously covered up by the smoke. We sat in our usual both, the one made out of the minivan(?) seats in the corner.
Now, we're cooking up a hearty winter stew in the slow cooker, which is making the whole house smell good. After the last time we used it, where the food had baked onto the crock-pot requiring much scraping and soaking, we bought plastic liners at the grocery store and are using one of those today. It looks silly, but appears to be working well. Liners in general are a good thing. I like things to have a liner, the cat litter, the garbage can, anything that gets routinely dirty and gross.
- Mood: content
Friday night we took M-kitty to the vet again for a shot of prednisone and a toenail trim. I wonder what her year-to-date medical and other bills comes to. With maybe 5-7 trips to the vet, prescriptions, catsitting, paper towels and carpet cleaner, it's probably a frighteningly high number in the 4-digit range.
Saturday I did a bunch of chores around the house, including changing the cat litter (yuck), and we got some Chinese takeout for dinner. Netflix movie of the week was the mockumentary A Mighty Wind.
Sunday J went for a run, and I gave myself another haircut. Also, disgusted by the amount of trash that had accumulated on my block, I went out with a garbage bag in hand, and picked it all up. The bagful of trash consisted of the usual suspects: beer bottles and cans, a cigarette pack, fast food wrappers, a coffee cup, Giant grocery bag, and an Express newspaper. It looks pretty good on the block now, nice and clean. No chicken bones! C'mon people, use the municipal garbage cans located on just about every block; proper trash disposal is one of the basic foundations of a civilized society.
Hopefully the work week will be slightly more interesting than the weekend, although I got a lot of chores done.
J finished the Baltimore Half Marathon with no problems, despite lack of sleep and a bad cold. She finished in 2:16, which is a pretty good pace. She felt good after the race, but at this point has run out of energy and is crashed out on the couch. I'm so impressed with her determination and stamina. She's not very fast, but just keeps going and going. She never tires and doesn't stop for food or water. Well, unless you count the brains of the living as "food"..... wait a minute, I'm mixing up my topics here!
J isn't very fast, but has incredible endurance. The zombies are the ones who never tire and don't need food or water. It's been awhile since I've seen a good zombie film, but J took pity on me and rearranged the Netflix cue so we could watch George Romero's Land of the Dead this weekend. Well, I watched it anyway, J passed out about halfway through. It was the unrated director's cut, so had some wildly, almost comically gory scenes. Zombies disemboweling victims, snacking on fingers, zombies on fire, and Dennis Hopper hamming it up. It wasn't as good as Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead (Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright make a cameo appearance), or 28 Days Later, but it had some worthwhile moments. The concept of Pittsburgh as a last bastion for the living isn't a bad idea, as it's got rivers on two sides with only the east side needing fortification.
Tomorrow morning we're having our neighbor G over for coffee for the first time, so he'll get to meet M-kitty and we'll give him a tour of Casa T. Maybe we'll eventually introduce him to the other members of the coffee clatch.
- Mood:
silly - Music:zombie groan
The film we saw was The Illusionist, directed by Neil Burger, starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell. It was based on a short story by Steven Millhauser, the author of one of my favorite books Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer. The Illusionist similarly created a long-gone turn of the century world, this time in Vienna during the height of the Spiritualist movement, instead of New York. The cinematography was beautiful, with faded, washed-out color stock similar to the few color photos that survive from the era, combined with silent film techniques like the iris lens wipe you see in D.W. Griffith films, and a creepy musical score. The music reminded me of the violin riffs in The Ring, believe it or not. The plot revolved around a mysterious illusionist (Norton), who may or may not have actually had supernatural powers, and his connection across social boundaries with the Archduke's fiancee (Biel) during the final years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Paul Giamatti, as the police inspector tasked with uncovering the Illusionists secrets, pretty much stole the show. It was filmed in Prague, and I very much enjoyed the depiction of grandiose architecture, horse-drawn carriages clattering down cobblestone streets, elegantly-attired Viennese strolling under gaslamps, and imperial Hapsburg family members strutting around in fantastically ornate uniforms. In other words, it nicely captured a vanished world, in both substance and style. The ending was a little bit too tidy for me, but enough was left up in the air so as to provide fodder for post-film discussion. Mr. T's recommendation: either see it in the theater, or add it to your Netflix list, if you're at all interested in the history of Spiritualism, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Hapsburgs, Vienna (I spent a couple of days there about 10 years ago) or are a fan of Edward Norton or the works of Steven Millhauser.
- Mood: impressed
- Music:creepy violins
Friday evening: J and I went to a hockey game, the Capitols vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. The Caps lost, but we had decent seats, and had a good time. I found an ice-cream concession stand with soft serve! Right next door was a "Dippin' Dots" franchise, which was mobbed by children who must prefer the plastic content and bizarre texture of the artificial-ice-cream-like product over rich, creamy, fresh soft-serve ice cream.
Saturday: J took the car in for an oil change while I did chores and fretted about the rain. It was supposed to end around noon, but lingered until 4 PM, so I was unable to take care of outdoor errands as planned. Later, J's friends J and S came over for pizza (from Radius)and a Bollywood movie from Netflix. J brought cupcakes, which were delicious, and a bottle of wine. The movie, Dil Chahta Hai, was very good, but a bit long at 3 hours. What else is new! Every movie seems to be 3 hours long these days. Hence, the brevity of this update.
Sunday: I woke up with a frighteningly painful headache this morning. It was so bad I thought something was seriously wrong with me. J ran downstairs and got me an ice pack, which helped. Two Tylenols and one Excedrin later, I felt well enough to get up and putter about. J went for a run, and when she returned we went for a walk to Meridian Hill Park to take advantage of the nice weather. There were only a couple of drum circle members there, which was just as well considering my headache, and lots of interesting, diverse folks using the park. One guy was playing a lute, while a young woman was alternately knitting and juggling sticks. She appeared to have stilts with her, but didn't use them while we were sitting there. Lots of interesting dogs around, and it all looked so pretty with the trees starting to bloom. That brings things up to the present, so ciao for now.
PS Bush Sucks! (for you, B)
- Mood: chipper
As a reward for our hard work today, we got pupusas and fried yucca at El Pollo Sabroso in Mt. Pleasant, and J had some kind of pineapple soda. Then, I crashed on the couch for 2 hours and watched The Ring Two on HBO. It wasn't as good or scary as the first one, but the monochromatic cinematography and eerie music of The Ring films make the Pacific Northwest seem like a really creepy place. Actually, I was a little spooked and agitated by the movie for a short while after the closing credits. I pestered J, who was trying to knit, by hopping around and acting like I was possessed by "Samara", the Japanese-inspired drowned girl ghost with the long wet black hair. Then, when the dishwasher was done, I yelled out to J that a mysterious fog or steam appeared when I opened the door, and that I could sense its evil presence. He he he. I just love horror movies! My poor wife. I'm back to normal now, uh, or my own special kind of normal, anyway.
Dammit, I missed This American Life on WAMU again today.
- Mood:productive
Today I was off from work to coordinate some projects at the new house. The construction foreman pressurized the sprinkler system, which set off a loud alarm, and fixed the heater. He's a real blue collar, red state kindof guy, but really knows his stuff. To avoid an awkward moment, I stood in front of the bumper sticker on J's car that has a "W" with a line through it, so he didn't see it. Normally, I'm proud to be a blue state, anti-Bush guy, but I don't want to alienate someone who can be extremely helpful over the next few weeks. I have a healthy respect for anyone who works a trade with their hands, objectionable politics or not. They're putting roofs over people's heads, while I'm basically just shuffling around paper and entering text into databases.
- Mood: scared
- Music:Peter, Paul & Mary, Leaving on a Jet Plane
Saw a really cheesy action flick on HBO this evening, Assault on Precinct 13, a remake of the 1976 original. The entire premise of the movie was ridiculous, and there were lots of explosions and gunplay of the "nobody ever runs out of ammunition" variety. Going to bed soon, have a haircut appointment early tomorrow morning on the way to work.
- Mood: listless
